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Meat shortages: Costco temporarily limiting purchases at stores

Empty shelves at the Kroger in Royal Oak Township on Sat., March 14, 2020. Shoppers across Michigan are stocking their pantries with essentials like bread, meat, eggs, and canned goods.(Photo: Joe Guillen, Detroit Free Press)

As meat processing facilities have suspended or slowed down operations because of the spread of COVID-19 to its workers, consumers are now faced with limitations on meat purchases.

Across the country, more than two dozen plants have been impacted.

The disruption in supply has forced many supermarkets and warehouse stores to now put limits on the amount of fresh meat, pork and poultry products customers can buy.

Costco announced Monday that stores will temporarily limit fresh meat (beef, pork and poultry) to a total of three packages per member. You can also buy three of any one item. Costco, according to its website is imposing the limits so more members can buy what they want and need.

"Our buyers and suppliers are working hard to provide essential, high-demand merchandise as well as everyday favorites," according to the Costco website.

Kroger and Meijer stores started imposing limits on some meats days ago. The limits, according to Meijer, may vary from store to store.

At Kroger, they are limiting purchases on ground beef, pork and chicken.

Last week, John Tyson, chairman of the board of Tyson Foods, warned in a full-page ad published April 26 in the New York Times and Washington Post that "the food supply chain is breaking."

"As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed."

On April 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at keeping beef, chicken and pork processing plants open to avert shortages on grocery store shelves.

The executive order means that the meat and poultry industries are considered critical infrastructure during the COVID-19 national emergency.

When the administration's order was announced, the United Food and Commercial Union (UFCW), which represents 250,000 meatpacking and food processing members, estimated that 22 meatpacking union and nonunion plants have closed in the last two months. Those closures impacted more than 35,000 workers and resulted in a 25% reduction in pork slaughter and a 10% drop in beef slaughter capacity.

According to the UFCW’s website there have been at least 72 worker deaths from COVID-19. More than 5,000 UFCW workers, those who work in grocery, retail, pharmacy, meatpacking and other essential industries, have been directly impacted by COVID-19.

A Smithfield foods plant in South Dakota that processed pork was set to partially reopen Monday, but has not resumed operations, according to Smithfield. . Hundreds of workers at that plant tested positive for COVID-19 and the plant closed temporarily in mid-April. The South Dakota plant represents about 5% of the pork production in the U.S., supplying nearly 130 million servings of food per week, according to a news release.

While it has been stressed all along that there is enough food in the supply chain, those in the industry say what's available may not be your favorite cuts because of processing.

For example, you may not be able to get the boneless center cut pork chops and have to settle for bone in. If your preference is for boneless, skinless, chicken breast you may have to buy bone-in and skin on.